Picking up the pieces
by Gale-Sama
Summary: Twenty-two year old Nicole Swanson just lost everything. But when a letter with no address is given to her to go on a vacation to Plastic Beach, it may just be the thing she needs to pick up the pieces of her life and start over. No pairings yet.
1. Chapter 1

The Gorillaz

**My first Gorillaz story! Go easy on me, 'kay? As always in these situations, I do not own them they belong to Jamie(?) and Damon. But Nicole Swanson, Jackie, and James are mine. **

Picking up the pieces

Plastic Beach was known as the "Point Zero" of the world; the farthest place known to man on Earth. It was here where Band leader and Bassist, Murdoc Niccals chose to make his new HQ. After the whole incident with Kong Studios, not to mention the whole El Manana conspiracy, it was about time to move on either way. So after Demon Days and the Apollo show in New York, the Gorillaz had split up for what seemed indefinitely. Noodles went M.I.A. after El Manana, Russel seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, and 2D had moved back home. Murdoc himself went back to sell Kong Studios and proceeded to fly around, compliments of the helicopters used in their Feel Good Inc. track. And now, five years later, is where the stories take place.

Twenty-two year old Nicole Swanson sighed dejectedly after removing her last box of valuables to her car. It was still hard to believe it, she thought that she honestly was getting somewhere in her miserable life. However, she was sadly mistaken. Her boss had just fired her from her job at the Architecture Department of a firm and since she couldn't come up with any money for rent, she was mercilessly kicked out from her apartment that morning.

She had asked for help from her parents, but they had simply said that it was time for her to stand on her own two feet, and stop running to mom and dad whenever something bad blows her way. Reason got her nowhere, pleading to them to pay just this once and she would gladly reimburse them when the time came, but they seemed to have turn a deaf ear to their only daughters' plea. Now, with nowhere to go and no one to live with, Nicole honestly didn't know what to do with herself. Her only talents were flute and piano playing, and she could draw professional sketches, but no one would take her. It was mere luck that she got her job in the first place, seeing as her dad had pulled a few strings to let her work there.

"I'm doomed. I have no home. My parents kicked me out. My landlord is relentless, and I have only $200 to my name! How am I supposed to live with the way things are now?" She wailed out, carelessly laying her head on her slender arms that folded lazily on the steering wheel of her black Nissan Versa. Nicole stayed this way for a few more minutes, trying to contemplate different ways she could possibly get her job back or maybe ask her parents if she could rent out a room from them, but all in all, before anything she was a woman of pride, and wouldn't dare crawl back to her boss for a second chance or try to kiss her parents feet for them to take her in. Although on the last part she pretty much already did.

With a sigh, Nicole picked up her purse and rummaged through its contents looking for her keys. A certain jingling sound caught her attention, and when she picked it up saw that it wasn't the object she was looking for but still important none the less. It was in fact, the key to her apartments' mailbox. Seeing it suddenly brought up a reminder that she forgot to check her mail because she was late for work this morning and didn't do it later on due to the chain of events that followed not soon after.

Nicole thought it best to get her mail one last time before turning in the key and departing. Leaving her small, cramped car, she walked into the building and down the hall until she was in a small little corridor that had a silver rectangular box on the right that had small doors for various relatives' mail that lived in the facility. Looking for her former living quarters' number, she stumbled across #103. Placing the key in the lock she turned it abruptly and hearing that distinct click that verified whenever the door was open, she reached in and sorted the letters and advertisement that awaited her.

All in all it was nothing new from all the things she would normally receive in the mail; bills, bills, oh look a letter from her college friend Marcy, more bills, eviction notice (well that's a bit late!), and… a note? The last piece of mail caught her attention. She looked at the small white envelope. It was plain, no address as to where it came and at least ten different stamps on it. She attempted to hold it up to the light to see if there was anything in it readable, but the enveloped it was encased in was so thick that light couldn't shine through it.

Shrugging, Nicole gathered up the last of her things and returned her key to the front office, noticing how the clerk seemed to give her an evil look as he snatched it away. Going against her better judgment, she quietly left and got back into her car. Finding the correct set of keys this time, she put it into the ignition and put the vehicle in drive, not so much as looking into her rearview as she drove further and further from the life she used to know.

Half way to nowhere, Nicole sought it best to get things started if she were to achieve anything new in her life as of now. First, she decided to go to the bank and withdraw the rest of her savings. She drove down the familiar street of Norwind Dr., and took in the sites that she would most likely see this one last time. The town houses were neatly sided by each other and she could see children playing in the front yards.

This was where she grew up at, where her parents used to let her play before she grew up. Now, only the nostalgia was left in its place and she could only sigh as she drove past her old house. Turning down another street she saw a market, clothing store and most importantly, the Bank. She parked her car and exited the vehicle carefully so as not to damage anything. Walking in the building, she encountered a line at the front desk. This was an awkward upset to her but nonetheless she walked up behind an obviously overweight man in his forties.

The line seemed to draw on forever, and all the while Nicole's patience was beginning to run quite thin after good forty-five minutes had gone by and only three people were served. In all earnest however, she could still hardly believe that all of this was happening to her. It seemed so sudden and rushed that she was actually in a bit of a daze from it all. Yes, she was still coping with it, but it didn't really seem real. Was she truly out of a job and living expenses?

She had worked so hard up to this point; worked to the bone and strived to do her best in all things but it seemed to be in vain in the end. Nicole didn't even bother trying to buy anything lavish and expensive such as the latest phone or laptop because she was in tune with the whole 'live within your budget' mantra. When people had invited her to the movies or club, she had to decline simply because of her money. And what she had to show for it was all of this.

So caught up in her thoughts and self-pity that she didn't notice that the clerk was calling her until someone from behind had _pushed_ her forward. Rudely driven back to reality, Nicole scurried up to the counter and asked to clerk for the money in her bank account out and close it out indefinitely. It seemed like an odd request, but she didn't need it around anymore after today. The lady behind the counter gave her a curious look as she pulled up Nicole's file.

This gave the other time to look at how abnormally long the lady's nails were and how they were painted such a grotesque green. Not only was that but her hair a fiery red with home applied bleach-blonde highlights streaked throughout her head. She couldn't even begin to see how gross it was that the lady thought that she was so robust that she had her cleavage clearly showed under a shirt two sizes to small before she received her money and was notified of how the account was now terminated.

Quickly she removed herself from the premises and went back to her car. Recounting the last of her savings she felt a pang of bitterness but diluted it under a false impression of optimism. She stared at the steering wheel again for a minute before being taken out of her thoughts by the disarrayed sound of her cell phone going off. She blinked and jumped as she looked at the phone to acknowledge who was calling her.

Picking up the lavender casing, she saw on the screen that her friend Jackie was trying to reach her. Reluctantly, she answered the phone and carefully put it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked in a monotonic voice.

"Nikki omigosh I'm so glad that I finally got a hold of you! What's been going on?" The other's voice was so high-pitched and shrill that Nicole had to withdrawal the device from her head and began to gnaw her teeth in agitation. After she was certain that the other wouldn't talk anymore, she gave a dry, "I got evicted today and lost my job."

Jackie could be heard gasping quite audibly and then she said in a much softer voice, "Nikki, I didn't know. I'm so sorry…" Nicole shook her head. "It's okay. Hey, don't feel sorry for me. I'll figure something out…" Jackie remained quiet for a minute before saying in a reassuring matter, "If there's anything I can do, then just ask."

The recipient pondered for a moment before saying in a half-amused manner, "There _is_ one thing that you can do for me. Meet me at the diner in thirty minutes." Jackie's voice was flooded with confusion and a bit a joy. "Of course! See you in thirty," and with that the other end of the phone was disconnected. Nicole didn't even try to question what her friend could have been doing and hung up the phone herself before putting the car into reverse and backing out of the parking lot.

At the diner Nicole had chosen a secluded booth away from everyone else and looked out the window at the bystanders and the colorful people that walked by. She had already ordered a coffee (that she really didn't want to begin with but she had to order something before she got kicked out) and was now twirling a small straw around in it in sheer boredom until a chime was heard at the door.

It really bothered her that she would have to explain to her friend the chain of events that happened to her. Knowing Jackie, she would blow a fuse and take pity on her. That was something that Nicole didn't want in the least. Jackie was very overbearing and protective when it came to Nicole; they were like sisters that were separated at birth. Ever since they were little they would stick together and watch each other's backs. So when one was in a dilemma, it was only fair that the other would try everything in their power to aid and assist. But this was different. Nicole always had slumps, that were evident, but never had something this serious happened to her before. She didn't know what to do but was confident that she wouldn't go down without at least trying to rectify her situation.

But she didn't need the 'you poor thing is there anything I can do to help you dear' routine that more than likely Jackie was going to put her through.

Nicole looked up and put on a brave, reassuring smile as she saw her friend come in to view. Jackie was tan, but not as dark as Nicole was. She sported blonde hair (obviously not hers) that was to her shoulders and a simple jacket with shorts that barely reached her thigh and sneakers. Jackie waved at her as she approached ever closer to Nicole's table. When she reached her friend, Jackie immediately dived down to give her a big hug.

"Nikki, I've been worried sick about you ever since you told me the news!" Nicole mentally rolled her eyes at the response but hugged her back nonetheless. "I told you, I'm fine Jackie. Just in a slump," she tried to make the matter seem less than what it was. Jackie released the hug and sat across from her. "A slump? _A slump_ you say? Nikki, I've seen you in slumps and this isn't it! This isn't a slump… You're in a ditch!" Nicole grimaced and looked at her cup. She hated to admit it, but Jackie was right.

Said friend flagged down a waiter and ordered a cup of tea and a muffin before turning her attention back to the person in question. "Nik, if you needed money why didn't you just ask me?" Nicole glared at her for a second before taking a bitter sip of her coffee and setting it back down. "I don't like asking for your money Jackie, you know that. And, I didn't even know how bad it was until I saw all my stuff on the street!"

Blue eyes widened at the information. "Didn't they at least give you a warning? Or an eviction notice?" Nicole rolled her hazel eyes. "Oh yeah I got it. Right in the mail this morning as I was returning my keys," she bit out bitterly and gave her friend a heated grin. Jackie sighed and slumped backwards into the seat. "Oh geez Nikki, it looks like they set you up with the way you're saying it. And your folks wouldn't help you out even a little?"

Hazel narrowed dangerously and Nicole gave out a harsh laughter. "Yeah right! They claimed that I was relying on them too much and that it was time to stand up for myself," she said in a mocking tone and she began to twirl the straw with more fervor. Jackie could only shake her head in disbelief as she looked out the window to avoid the conversation from going any further.

Even Jackie knew when it was time to just stop and consider that maybe someone didn't want to talk about their troubles right away. She changed the subject by talking about her job (which made her feel even worse because she still had hers) and how her boyfriend was starting to annoy her. When the tea and muffin came silence pursued the area as Jackie drank and ate (quite nimbly) and Nicole would take a sip of her _now_ _cold_ coffee. Finally, to break the tension, Jackie said, "What did you get in the mail?"

Nicole was taken aback for a little but shrugged. "Nothing much just the usual; bills, bills, bills, a letter from Marcy, my notice which **again **was pretty late, and a note." Jackie asked her about the letter from Marcy, asking how she was doing since she started college. Nicole had told her that she was fine; she missed them and had gotten herself a nice respectable job. She wasn't in the dorms, in fact, she was living with her boyfriend of eight years now. Nicole felt somewhat bitter; all her friends had jobs and a good romance life whilst she was left with literally nothing now.

Jackie sighed happily at the news. "It's good to hear from her again. It feels like it's been forever since we last spoke. At least we know she's doing well." Nicole couldn't help but smile and agree. Marcy was smart, smarter than Nicole was and surely smarter than Jackie. It was good to see that she went places with herself, instead of doing a dead end job where she couldn't exploit her talent to the fullest like some people (Nicole mentally sweat dropped at the last part of her thought). Now that she thought about it, was she actually unhappy with the job she had?

She couldn't explore it any more before Jackie asked her about the note. Nicole shrugged. "I don't know what's in it. The thing had no address or anything. Just, like twenty different stamps on it so I don't know where it originally came from." Jackie arched an eyebrow. "That sounds fishy. Why didn't you open it?"

"Why would I open it? I don't like opening mail that has no return address. Besides, it might not even be mine."

Jackie drank some of her tea before adding, "Well you'll never know if you don't open it, don't you think?"

"I suppose. But when if it's something really weird like… I dunno an ear or something?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Nikki. Don't be so pessimistic."

"I'm not pessimistic, I'm paranoid! There's a difference you know."

"Just open it!"

Nicole sighed and gave in. She knew that if she tried to argue with Jackie on this that it wouldn't end well (Jackie always won these arguments anyway). She got up and went to her car, looking through her bag for the small white envelope. When she retrieved it she went back into the diner and handed the object to Jackie.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

Nicole gave her a dull look. "I don't care what's in it, that's why. Unless it's a bunch of money, I don't really care."

Jackie gave her a disheartened look and sighed. Nicole didn't look at her, knowing what was going on. She was trying to get her to cave in and open it. Jackie was many things, but not imposing. She wanted Nikki to open so that she could have a clear conscious to be nosy afterwards. Nicole averted her eyes everywhere but to her friends. Then she whimpered. Nicole felt her eye twitch in response, not wanting to deal with such childish behavior, but when she looked at Jackie to tell her to stop; she looked her dead in her eyes.

And caved.

With a sigh, she snatched it away from her and tore open the letter. It was festive to say the least, colors wildly splashed on it and a funky writing that wrote:

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have been invited to the magnificent island of Plastic Beach for an all expense paid vacation! Please be at the Portland Pier on the 23rd at 10:00 a.m. and we will personally escort you to your destination.

Again, Congrats and we hope that you will take delight with this offer.

Jackie squealed at her friend as she took the letter and read it to herself. "Nikki, this is HUGE! I'm uber jealous of you right now!" Nicole looked confused and beside herself. "Okay, One, what is 'uber'? Two, I don't know why you're so excited for me because I'm not going," she said putting her cup aside and looked at the envelope. A loud squeal of disapproval was heard that made Nicole want to throw her best friend out a ten story window.

"No way Nikki, you have to go! This is a vacation! All expense paid! Is there any reason why you wouldn't want to go?"

"Uh, hello, earth to Jackie! I need to find myself another job. That's a lot more important to me right now than going to some beach."

Jackie frowned at her answer. "Nikki, you need to learn to loosen up y'know?" Nicole folded her arms across her chest and huffed out hot air. "I'm a realist Jac. I need to get a job so that I have the money to eat and live! I mean, I'll have to sleep in my **car** at night Jackie! Do you know how embarrassing that is? No, I'm not going!" Her friend lowered her eyes to the note. She didn't want her to be so worked up over this. Perhaps, this was just the anecdote Nikki needed.

"If you don't go for yourself, go for me okay? I think it'll do you a world of good."

Just as she was getting ready to put up a fight, Jackie grabbed her b. f.'s hands in hers. "It'll help you clear your mind. You need to relax. I'll come up with something while you're away. Until then, why don't you stay with me okay?" Nicole was honestly at a loss for words. She never saw Jackie this way before. If she was this set on her being there, then perhaps it was for the best. Besides, she had Jackie to help support her until she could get back on her feet. That one fact was enough to make her believe that maybe she was right.

"Fine, fine. So, when is it?" Jackie jumped up and down in joy before handing the note back to her. "It's on the twenty-third! And today's… Oh crap!" Nicole looked up from the note to her pal. "What's wrong?" Jackie's face seemed to pale at her realization as her happy disposition slackened. "Today's the twenty-second, Nikki. You have to be there tomorrow!" Nicole stood up in shock.

"Are you serious?" she yelled out, causing attention to turn towards them from throughout the diner. She sat back down, a bit embarrassed to cause such a distraction and attention to herself. Jackie giggled before tapping her hand against the table. "Okay, let's just think about this for a minute. We can still move the majority of your stuff to my place and get you packed and settled. Now we have to hurry and get things ready for you…" Jackie continued to travel off in her thoughts as Nicole looked on.

She was actually a little excited about all this (though it was only because Jackie got her riled up). After they finished their business in the diner, both of them left. Nicole got into her car and followed Jackie back to her place. She really was grateful for a friend like her, even though she grated her nerves most of the time. Nicole could always rely on the young woman for anything that was within the other's reach. So if that meant putting up with her lame jokes or constant nagging, she could easily deal with it. Beside's it was better than being at her parents, which she thought was much more demeaning. According to her ideas of life, when you pass the age of nineteen, you honestly had no business back at your parents' house. But that was neither here nor there.

Jackie's house was a good forty-five minute drive from where they were. She lived deeper into the city (perhaps because it was due to the fact she enjoyed the busy life-style) so it always confused the twenty-two year old as to where she needed to go. But it was good to see that she had help from said native so things went much more smoothly. The tall buildings and busy streets really wasn't anything new to her, but it was the fact that it was so _cluttered_ that she felt like she couldn't breathe that got to her.

Nicole didn't want anyone to know but she had an acute case of _slight_ claustrophobia.

Anyway, by the time she snapped out of it, they had arrived at the house. It was decent in size, something that a person alone could feel comfortable with. Or at least Nicole thought that was the case. But when did Jackie need** two **cars? She paid it no mind as she parked on the street in front of the house and Jackie parked in the garage. After they got out the cars, both made way to the entrance to the house.

Jackie messed with a few keys, jingling them around until she found the right one and let Nikki in. Nicole still couldn't get used to the color scheme that her friend had; yellows here, greens there, and red mixed with blues every with other way. The furniture was also awkward, but to Jackie she must have thought it 'artistically unique'. Nikki put her book bag down before going into the kitchen where the other went.

Grabbing a beer from the refrigerator, Nicole turned to her friend and leaned against the countertop. "So, are you going to help me move in my things or what?" Jackie sighed and grabbed herself a bottle. "As soon as my hubbie is home I'll help," she said taking a fair swig then sighing as the liquor burned at her throat pleasantly.

Nicole rolled her eyes. "So in other words, 'as soon as your hubbie is home you'll just sit on your butt while he helps me," she said taking a long gulp herself. Nicole didn't really drink on the regular but after all the stress of home and work she took up the past time to help calm her down from time to time. Jackie shrugged at the response but nodded nonetheless.

In the meantime, Nicole brought what she deemed light enough in the house by herself. After a good portion of her valuables was in a room, she sat in the living room mostly on the computer looking up a job that served her qualifications. When two and a half hours passed by, Jackie called out to her. "You've been on that thing for ages Nikki! Did you honestly not find anything yet?"

The cascade of keys being tapped at a rapid pace was heard before a groan was drawn out. "I can't find anything! I'm good at cleaning but I don't want to be taking care of a bunch of old people. I like to draw but I don't want to be trapped behind the conformity of a desk with a guy that has a stick up his butt breathing down my neck. I play instruments, but I don't want to be in a band gig… at least not yet anyway. I don't see anything that suits me…"

"Sounds like someone's being picky to me~" said her friend in a taunting tone. Nicole gave up and slammed her head on the keys of the board. "I'm not picky. I just don't want to feel trapped in my profession is all. I want to actually **enjoy** what I'm doing rather than feeling pressured into it. I've been reasonable all my life, why can't I just get that one thing?" she began to whine out. Jackie laughed out right at her dilemma.

Walking towards her, she wrapped a slender arm around her shoulders. "You've haven't always been easy-going Nikki. Remember when you threw a fit because your mom wouldn't give you dance lessons? And when you wanted that pony? And who could forget the singing fiasco…" Nicole shrugged her off and waved the blonde away. "Okay I get it! But still, that was years ago. I was only like, eight when all that was happening." Just then, the front door opened and Jackie squealed in excitement.

A light, fair skinned Philippine with short wavy hair entered the room. "Hey everyone," he said in a tired voice. The bleach blonde woman ran over and hugged him tightly. "I've missed you sweetie! What took you so long?" she chimed out. Nicole had to keep herself from taking the keyboard and slamming herself in the head with it. The guy nodded to the other that was currently refraining from gagging.

"What's up Nikki? Been awhile," he said catching her attention. She gave him a half-hearted, "Yeah. How's it going James?" James was Jackie's 'adorable, handsome, most perfect boyfriend' (as proclaimed by the bubbling dolt herself). Before things could get to mushy and she would end up feeling utterly ill, she called out James to help move her things out of her car.

When they were outside, James took the time to talk to Nicole about how things were going in her life. She really didn't want to tell another person about her life and how downhill it was compared to everyone else's , so instead she just lied and told him that she got a raise. "That's great! Maybe next time the gang hangs out we can rely on you to pick up the tab then?' he said elbowing her in a playful gesture. Nicole rolled her eyes mentally and smiled. "Sure, why not?" she lied out even more.

After her suitcases, television, and mini-fridge was out the vehicle, she breathed a sigh of relief (the claustrophobia was really starting to do her in). The rest of the day went on without a hitch. They settled in, cooked dinner, ate, and then sat around in the living room mostly drinking and laughing about. Nicole at this time was drowning down her third beer to numb the fact that reality just hit her at full force.

Literally, in the middle of Jackie and James were talking about one of their mutual friends, Nikki's hazel eyes shot opened in horror as she shot up from her seat and screamed out: "Oh my God I have no home and no job! I'm a dead-beat!" then proceeded to cry herself to unconsciousness only to wake up and continue drinking with more reserve. Jackie was swooning over her boyfriend, coyly nibbling on his neck when she whispered out, "hey, did you know that Nikki is going on vacation tomorrow?"

James chuckled (partly due to the booze and from her nibbling on a very ticklish spot) and said, "Really? Where?" She stopped flirting around and sat back on the armrest of the sofa and gestured for him to come closer. "She's going to a flaccid beach," she giggled. James eyes widened at her words but then Nicole butted in. "Its **Plastic **Beach you drunk," she said, honestly giggling herself now at how Jackie mis-said the word.

"Why would you go to a beach made of plastic?" asked James.

"How should I know? It came in the mail."

"Doesn't that seem redundant to go to a place made entirely of plastic?"

"What, did you prefer it be metal?" Nicole hiccupped before leaning back into the recliner she was in, sighing. The conversation was idiotic to say the least, but it did help with the feeling of being on air. Being drunk and stressed didn't match for her (or anyone for that matter). Suddenly, the topic came and went and they were now talking about how the man on the t.v. looked like a giant chicken.

Hours passed and Nicole found that she dozed off again in the seat (it was actually very comfortable). Looking at the nylon numbers on the nearest clock, she saw it read: 11: 45 p.m. She looked over to Jackie and James cuddled up against each other. She had her head on his chest, her small hands wrapped loosely around his waist. James' head was tilted to the right a little, his right arm slung around her friends' waist as well. Nikki smiled at the sight before quietly (at least she thought she was) and tapped on Jackie's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm going to head on to bed now," she whispered out. Jackie didn't seem to register the words at first, but then nodded slowly before placing her head back on James' chest. Nicole made her way staggering up the stairs and down the hall to the guest room. Stripping down to her nightgown, she climbed into bed and looked out the window to her left. She sighed. Tomorrow would be a long day, but at least she could start her first day of being officially dirt poor on a beach under the nice rays of the sun. The thought made her smile tiredly as she began to drift off to sleep, dreaming about what it would be like if her life was actually the way she wanted it to be; with a house, a dog, a good job, and most importantly, a loving boyfriend of her own.

**A/N: I hoped you all enjoyed the first installment. Sorry that there is no official 'Gorillaz' yet, but I promise that they will be there next chapter… Well, some of them. For this one, I basically wanted the reader to get into the mindset or see where my character Nicole was coming from before anything really started. Just a heads up, this is during the beginning of the Plastic Beach phase and any added information on the member's whereabouts as of now and reviews *which are much more important mind you* is greatly needed and appreciated. Until then, ciao! **

**Gale signing off this next time! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Another chapter is up! Yay! Okay right to business. Remember, The Gorillaz don't belong to me, they're Jamie and Damon's. But Nicole IS mine. **

**Picking up the Pieces**

**CHAPTER TWO: The Sea, the island, and the Gorillaz**

The morning was so peaceful. Sleep caressed Nicole in its soothing blanket of tranquility. She never felt so at ease, so weightless, so… oh crap. Nicole's eyes shot open as she shot up out of her bed and looked around hurriedly for a clock. When she found one it read 9: 35 a.m. Well that's just great. Quickly getting out of bed, she got herself ready as she called out for Jackie to wake up.

Putting on a magenta short-sleeved shirt, intricate patterned skinny-jeans, a short skirt, jacket and boots she grabbed her book bag and ran downstairs (nearly tripping). She saw Jackie still sleep beside James. The dark-skinned woman grinded her teeth together as she yelled out, "GET UP!" Jackie shot up like a bullet and nearly fell off the couch.

Looking around frazzled and alert, she wondered about the room questioning what was going on. Nicole grabbed a bottle of water from her friends' fridge. "You have to take me to the pier," she called out. Jackie rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Why can't you take yourself?" she drawled out tired. Nikki sighed angrily and gave her a bottle to drink. "I can't take my car with me and if I bring it with me who will be going to bring it back?" she questioned. Honestly, she was starting to feel faint and woozy, probably because of the fact that she had a slight hang-over.

Jackie sluggishly got up and slouched over trying to get herself together. "Ow, my head hurts," she whined. Nicole rolled her eyes. "That's what five beers will do to you," she says sarcastically. Jackie whimpered and got up, almost falling over in the process. Nicole hurried over to hold her up. "I'll drive okay? We'll stop by a Starbucks and get you some coffee. By the time we get to the pier, you'll be sober enough to drive yourself back," she said helping her friend into her car. Jackie nimbly nodded as she was ushered into the passenger seat and Nikki went back in the house to get the car keys and letter on the dresser in the guest room.

After she was in the car, she quickly put the car in drive and sped down the street. "Slow down Nikki," Jackie said whining as she rested her head on the window. Nicole didn't listen (to busy trying to beat all the lights and go to the store and be at the pier in twenty minutes when it was forty minutes away) and, if anything, drove faster. She stopped by a Starbucks and got Jackie and herself a white chocolate mocha. It was weird how she wanted to hurry and be there. If anything, she would be more worried about going out today and looking for another job.

She pushed the thought from her mind. '_I can't get all caught up into that right now. I should just relax.' _She thought to herself, beginning to take deep breaths and sipping her mocha. Speeding down the street, she nearly hit another car, ran over someone, and got stopped by police. But then she finally reached her destination; Portland Pier. Nicole put the car in park and shook Jackie awake (she fell asleep after drinking her mocha). "Jackie, I'm about to leave. You going to be okay?" she asked. Jackie, again frazzled by being awake so suddenly, looked around and nodded.

"See you Nikki. Call me okay?" She said in a groggily voice. Nicole nodded and shut the door, looking to make sure that her friend was settled and hurried to the port where she would depart from. Her cell read 9: 57 just as she reached the checkpoint. Upon arriving, she saw a man with a navy suit on and she could only guess was the 'captain' of the boat. He studied her for a minute, looking her up and down before meeting eyes with her. "Anything you need, ma'am?" he asked in a funny accent.

Nicole nodded and looked through her pack for the letter and handed it to him. "I got this letter for an all expense paid vacation. Is this it?" she asked, a bit out of breath. He looked at the note, examining it closely and nodded to her.

"This is it miss. Come on aboard," he said already boarding. Nicole followed after him, looking at the deck that seemed as if it could use a good swabbing. "Good thing you came when you did too. We almost left without you," he said nonchalantly. Nikki's ears perked up and she looked at him. "I'm not the only person here?"

The man stopped. "What? Oh, of course not. Some people are here helping with the boat." Nicole gave him a blank expression. That wasn't what she meant but by the sound of it, she seemed to be the only on board who wasn't there to man the ship. Her hazel eyes widened in realization. Could that have meant…?

"Oh no, I'm the only one with this letter?" she screamed. She didn't want to be going on an island all her lonesome without anybody else traveling with her! This changed everything drastically. Nicole almost lost feeling in her legs but held on to the railing. When if she was stranded on the beach by herself? When if it was capacitated with vicious, carnivorous monsters? Just her luck, to 'coincidentally' lose her home and job, and then be sent to an uncharted island that wasn't even located on a map!

The captain of the ship (or medium sized boat) gave her a curious look. He didn't know what was wrong with her; apparently she was having an episode. Ignoring her desperation, he called all hands on deck and put everyone on their respective stations so that they could hurry on. Before they could start moving, Nicole snapped out of her trance and looked at the pier again. She could still high-tail it off the ship. She could easily run off and continue her life looking for a job, living with her friend until she found her own place, boyfriend-less, mooching… On second thought, maybe a secluded beach wouldn't be so bad after all.

The ship sounded off with a low but loud bellowing sound and before she knew it the ship was sailing away from the harbor. She sighed and just sat on a nearby barrow. It was going to be quite the voyage, and personally she would find it boring and get impatient very quickly. It was a good thing that she brought with her the flute, a journal, and a novel she was trying to read. Speaking of which, she pulled out said book and flipped to the page she left off from and began to read.

Five hours into the boat-ride, Nicole found herself rather hungry. Now that she thought about it, she didn't have time for breakfast this morning. Nicole placed a bookmark in her page and placed the book down on the barrow before going to look for someone. Strangely enough, the boat looked almost deserted on the surface. One or two men were on deck but that was about it. She asked them if the captain was below deck, but neither had answered her straightly (which made her quite cross after a few moments).

Adventuring downward to the lower decks, Nicole was beside herself. It was so… cramped and cluttered! It amazed her how anyone could even _move_ down here! It was a good thing she was _that_ fat, because she could easily squeeze past the boxes and narrow halls. In what she guessed was the dining room area, she saw the captain-man from earlier. She approached him cautiously, seeing that he was busy talking to another tenant. When he apparently caught sight of her, he ordered the worker to leave and gave her his undivided attention.

"Is there anything I can help ye with, miss?" he drawled out in that odd accent of his. She folded her arms across her chest and put her weight on one side of her body. "Is it bad to ask someone who just so happens to be a passenger if they were hungry this past five hours?" she queried. The captain looked at her before finally catching the hint and getting up from his seat with a grunt. Walking over to a cabin, he pulled out what could be described as inedible rubbish. She gave the concoction a look of utter displeasure before asking if there was something that at least was relatively close to viewing like actual food.

As a result she was given a bag of chips and a bottle of water.

Later on, she had tried to pull out her cell and call up her friend. But sadly, the reception was so poor that Nicole couldn't even get through to call Jackie (or anyone for that matter). After reading about three more chapters, warming up on her flute playing, and writing down how _dreadfully bored _she was, Nikki deemed it time to go to bed. She didn't know that exact time, but by the way the moon looked in the sky, so bright with the stars adorning it in the most beautiful way, she imagined that it was pretty late. She went to ask the captain if she had a room, and was _graced_ with seeing that she had a bunk room that was so small that her **acute **case of paranoia had escalated to full blown trauma.

In a way she could feel grateful, because seeing this cramped area made her immediately pass out on the floor.

The next two weeks went on in the same pattern. Nicole was starting to become sea-sick, being surrounded by nothing but water for miles on made her feel even worse. The ship's tenants were nicer to her as the trip continued on though. Three days after passing out, they found her still there on the floor and, according to them were 'worried sick over her well being.' Since then they were more intent to her, giving her meals that were actually edible, and asking if they could do anything to make things more bearable.

Once when she thought no one was around, she pulled out her flute and began to play a soothing concerto in D major and E minor. The way the pitch echoed out on the quiet sea made things a little more bearable for her. She closed her eyes and focused on the way the sounds swayed and blended with each other in an erythematic sequence. She was so immersed in playing that she didn't notice that she had caused herself an audience. Only when she finished playing and opened her eyes did she see that everyone was looking at her with an expression of awe.

Since then she played for the crew every night. However, one particular morning when she was in her bunk room resting she heard a knock on the door. Hazy and unaware, she sat up and yawned. "Who is it?" she said in a tired fashion. A voice, similar to that of a teen answered. "It's Tom," he called out. Nicole felt herself grin a little. Tom was such a sweetheart in her standards. He was by far the most attentive towards her. But she really wasn't into anyone that was younger than she was. She wanted a mature, financially stable, older man.

"Come in," she said as soon as she was decent. In came a young man, around the age of nineteen that smiled at her upon entering. "Captain wanted me to tell you that we've hit land," he said almost shyly. Nikki was ecstatic when she heard that they were now on firm land instead of being surrounded by water. "Thank you. I'll be right out," she said quickly as she gathered up her things. Tom nodded and exited the room.

Nicole was thrilled to see that she was finally at her arrived destination. Granted, she did feel a bit saddened to leave everyone. They had grown to be friends in the past two weeks, and seeing that she now had to go was disheartening at the moment. Anywho, Nicole got all her things together and wandered upstairs to the upper deck. The captain was there waiting on her along with the rest of the crew. She smiled at them and saluted. "So, land-ho?" she joked to them.

The captain laughed and nodded. "Yes Miss Swanson. We've reached your destination. Welcome to yer Plastic Beach," he said swaying his arm in the direction of the secluded island. Nicole's mouth fell agape at the sight. The place had trees, sand, and a tall mountainous pillar with a large white building perched on top. The only problem was all the trash and plastic that was there as well. "There sure is a lot of… well **plastic**," she said rubbing the back of her head.

It wasn't what she was expecting to say the least. The captain shrugged. "Well, this be Plastic Beach. What did ye expect, Miss Swanson?" he said giving her a confused look. Nicole just shook her head and dismissed the whole scenario. Saying her goodbyes and wishing them a safe voyage back, she stepped onto the wooden plank and waved them farewell as they began to reroute their course back home.

After watching until the fog covered up the ship, Nicole exhaled shakily and turned around to the unknown territory. She could look on the bright side, at least there was life here and she didn't have to worry about being eaten by an animal or something. The young woman began to walk up to the building, starting to feel anxious as her heart thumped in her chest. When she was up the stairs, she saw a seagull and pelican talking amongst themselves. The only thing that made her worried was the fact that she _**understood**_ what they were saying.

Upon entering the… humble abode, Nicole walked into a small room with an elevator. The little man by it looked up at her with quite a wide grin. She nodded to him in acknowledgement. "Um… I'm here for the vacation… Where do I go?" she asked politely. His smile never wavered as he ushered towards the elevator's doors.

"The lift! The lift boss!" was all he chanted. Confused, Nicole reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded letter. Showing it to the man she asked him, "No, I got this in the mail yesterday. It's an all expense paid vacation here. Do I have to see a hotel manager or something?" He gave her a curious look before pointing to the elevator once more. "The lift boss!" he called out again.

Nicole merely sighed, frustrated before entering the machine and the doors closed. Inside was a dangling light bulb that hung from a thin cable, a panel with some of the buttons non-functional and floor names scratched up, and graffiti on the dirty walls. She grimaced but looked at the panel. Shrugging, she pushed the one that read, 'Study/Studio'. A chime was heard and the elevator jerked upwards.

Humming softly, Nicole tried to block out everything and closed her eyes from the sight. When the bell chimed again and the elevator stopped with a hard thud, she got out.

And immediately screamed.

There… there was a giant _octopus_ in the study! Hazel eyes filled to the brim with fright (one of Nicole's many fears were octopi) as her voice carried pretty much throughout the estate she was now in. The creature jumped and turned around, large round eyes staring into hers. Frozen in fear, Nikki looked back with her mouth still agape but no sounds coming out. It stayed this way for many moments, though to the human counterpart it seemed much longer.

Suddenly, a low rumble was heard and Nicole whipped her head around (still mindful of the octopus) and saw a bookcase moving and reveal a secret stairwell. From the darkness behind the casing she heard footsteps start to approach. At this point in time, Nicole's only thought was to hide herself quickly. The footsteps grew louder and louder as they echoed from the darkened stairwell, and soon a string of profanity could be heard.

Frazzled from her encounter, Nikki did the only thing she could at the moment and ran into the double doors to her right and hid herself behind the desk. She didn't know why she was so scared, but something about this place didn't feel right to her. It was as though something could easily grab you and tie you up, never to be seen again. She was only twenty-two; she still had a life to live (though it really wasn't much of a life at this point)!

The curses grew louder at this point and now Nicole could clearly hear the other's voice. "Who the bloody hell screamed like a banshee just now? What the hell is going on up here?" A violent shudder coursed up Nikki's spine as she closed her eyes and placed her back against the cool surface of the desk. _'Why am I so scared? I could just as easily get up and explain myself to him,' _she thought to herself.

But the violent language made her decide against that decision instantaneously afterwards. She had no idea what this guy was capable of, and if he acted as bad as he talked, then she wanted nothing to do with him. She sighed as a small dark hand ran through her dark violet hair. The footsteps stayed in the other room, which in a way she was glad about. However, she felt trapped now. Could she ever go out there now? She didn't reveal herself right away, so if she did now would she be considered a trespasser? Technically, she was trespassing, but it wasn't her fault! She did knock, numerous times actually before letting herself in. Now that she thought about it, who would leave their front door open for anyone to come in as they pleased in the first place?

Filled with resolve, Nicole nodded to herself. She was correct of course, but if she knew the man that was still having an episode on the other side of those doors, she would know that the information would still be irrelevant. Just when she was comfortable enough to get up and leave, the doors swung open and with a small yelp Nicole ducked back down. The footsteps slowed down now, as though they knew someone was in there. She heard the steps walk around near the doors and stop every now and then.

Fear could be the only feeling that Nikki could register at the moment. She didn't want to be found, heck, she didn't want to be _**here**_ anymore! Scared eyes closed as Nicole violently shuddered and shook, on the verge of tears. _'What will he do if he finds me? Will I be tied up and put away? Killed maybe? He might even call the police… though they might not come to a place so far away from civilization,'_ her mind flooded with thoughts. Her worry spiked expeditiously when the footsteps seemed to approach her hiding spot. The only thing that kept ransacking through her head was: _Please don't find me, please don't find me! _

The man stood still as if he were pondering whether or not to keep searching. Finally, to Nicole's fortune, the steps retreated out the room. She sat there longer still until she heard the bookshelf reverberating in the area she resided. A sigh slipped through her lips as she leaned back and waited for her heartbeat to stop pounding so hard against her ribcage. So close, she was so close to being caught and have _God knows what _happen to her. After a good thirty minutes came and went, she eased up from her spot and nimble headed towards the doors.

Again, she was greeted by the octopus and almost shrieked but held it in. Nicole snuck back to the elevator and for once felt glad to be in the cramped space. She looked at the panel again and selected another floor that read 'master bedroom.' In her mind she scolded herself, (why would she need to know where a bedroom was?) but still willed the mechanical contraption to go onward. The chime sounded and the elevator jerked to a stop, the doors opening. She saw a small hall with a glass case on the left.

Nicole paid it no mind as she went to the room that had the words, '**Muds**' painted in red at the top. Opening it, plants greeted her visionary. Next, she saw a bed with hats on it. The room had large glass windows wrapped all along the walls, and all she could see was water that stretched on for miles. Starting to feel sea-sick once more, she eluded trying to see anything else and left the room.

Back in the elevator, she sighed and looked at what other rooms were still available for her to see. Boiler room, entrance, and 2D's room was all that was left. She thought for a moment. _I came from the entrance I think, _she thought and with that pushed the button for 'Boiler Room'. When she arrived to the lower rooms, she saw a hall first. Walking down, Nicole took notice to one room that had whining in it. _I'll see that one lastly_, she mentally noted.

In the Boiler Room she saw a small bridge and underneath it a broom closet. Deeming that nothing interesting would be there, she walked further in, and almost lost her breakfast. A man was hunched over working on a large machine. But the thing that made her gag was the horrendous _Plumber's crack_ that she was _'graced' _with seeing. Nicole decided she had seen enough (and didn't want to disturb the man that was working), and quietly made her exit.

Walking back down the hall she paused at the only other door in the narrowed area. Placing a hand on the door, she listened to the whimpering sounds. Strangely enough, Nikki felt sorry for whoever was in there. Softly, she knocked on the door. There was no answer. Then again she knocked, a bit louder this time.

"Excuse, are you okay in there?" she asked in concern.

"W-who is it? Who's out there?" was the shaky response of a man with a British accent.

Nicole smiled. She was part British, on her grandfather's side (though through the lineage no one would really know unless she told them). "My name is Nicole Swanson. May I come in?" she said softly. The man didn't answer as a small scream was heard. Hearing this, the only thing that ran through the woman's mind was that the man was hurt or in trouble. She placed her hand on the handle, getting ready to turn it.

"I'm about to come in. I hope you don't mind," she said in consideration just before she turned the handle and pressed against the door with a bit of force (seeing as it was heavy). Just then she was greeted with a room, messy, but nothing that couldn't use a good cleaning. Nicole stepped in carefully, just in case the man changed his mind and wanted her out. When she was a good five steps in, she gasped and almost 'awwed'.

There was a guy; young but not to young, with light blue hair. He was curled up with his knees close to his face and arms wrapped around. She couldn't see his face due to his head being tucked safely in his arms. She took another two steps before stopping directly in front of his bed. Nicole cleared her throat to make her presence known.

"Hello there. Are you okay?" she asked softly. The man was visibly shuddering and didn't respond. Sighing, she leaned forward, placing one hand firmly on the bedding to keep her balance and reached out with her other. When her hand glided against his arm, he jumped up. Nicole flinched and almost recoiled herself when she saw his face.

His eyes… were completely black! There was no pupil, no cornea. Just… pitch blackness. He stared at her, his face young and full of innocence. Mentally calming herself, she asked again if anything was wrong with him. He then shook his head. "They're too big," he murmured. She looked at him confused. What was he talking about? What was too big? "Uh… What do you mean?" she pressed on.

He quivered some then pointed to the circular window beside him. "Whales. They're too big. I can't take it," he drawled on. Nicole finally understood what was going on. She completely got the situation. Sitting near the edge of the bed, she looked at him with pity and remorse. "You're afraid of whales, aren't you?" she asked soothingly. He nodded and placed his head back in his arms.

Nicole looked at the window. The large mammal wasn't there now, but she could only guess it was near. "Why don't you just leave the room then if it scares you so much?" she asked him. He shook his head, trembling. "I try, but e'fry time I see its face, I freeze up! Its eyes look right at me; into me soul like it wants to eat me! Murdoc's paying it, I don't know how, but he is. He knows I'm afraid and that's why he has It watching me~!" with that he started to whimper even more.

She honestly felt bad for the man. He was so afraid that he couldn't even move! And who was that Murdoc guy? By the sound of it, he seemed to be a total creep. Anger boiled deep within her, but she held a calm farce. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she said studying him more. He looked at her with scared black sockets. "Nofing unless you can get rid of that… that **monster**," he said shaking even more.

Reserve filled her as she looked at the window. Just then, a large eye filled the outside of it's' glass surface. The guy glanced up and screamed. "THERE IT IS! AHHHH!" he wailed, shaking uncontrollably and started to sob. Nicole frowned and glared at the whale. "Shoo! Go away you, scat!" she said making a waving motion with her arm. It seemed to get the message because it made a low noise and swam away. With a sigh, she closed the curtains.

"There you go sir. It shouldn't bother you so long as you don't see it right?" she said when the curtains were drawn. Meekly, he lifted his head and nodded. Nikki smiled. "Then don't open the shades, okay?" she advised to him. He blinked and looked at the now covered window and sighed. Slowly, he removed from his curled up position and lay down on the bed.

After a good five minutes, he was relaxed. It gave Nicole time to notice how incredibly _long_ his legs were. He was pretty tall from the looks of it. The man sighed. "Oh, fank you so much. I fought I was going to die for a moment," he said smiling goofily. She nodded. It really was no problem; she just wanted to make him more comfortable. When she was sure he was okay, she sat straight and tilted her head.

"Why are you here in the first place?" she questioned. He shrugged. "I honestly don't know myself. I was home in Eastbourne tending to me father's shop, and I fainted. When I woke up, I was wif Murdoc and he locked me up down here. Here wif that thing," he said looking up at the ceiling. It confused her how the whole time he was explaining the situation, he didn't sound angry in the slightest.

He sat up and was face to face with her (nearly scaring the daylights out of Nikki, seeing as she still wasn't used to seeing eyes like his). "Wot did you say your name wos?" he asked again. She blinked and smiled. "My name is Nicole Swanson," she replied. He grinned and extended a hand to her. As she took hold and properly introduced herself, he said, "My names Stuart Pot. But e'fryone calls me 2-D." Nicole was slighted by such an odd name.

But nonetheless, she remained polite and nodded to him. He really was nice. 2D had invited her to watch some horror movies, but she declined the offer (she wasn't too fond of them, but wasn't scared of them either). Then he was struck by a stray thought. "Wait, wot are you doing here in the first place?" he said, beside himself.

Nicole reached in her pocket and showed him the letter. "I got this all expense paid vacation here to Plastic Beach," she informed him as he took the letter and looked over it. Bewilderment graced his face as he studied the card, flipping it this way and that and then handing it back to her. 2D scratched his head as he thought about something.

"Wot's he up to this time?" he said, out loud but mostly to himself. Nikki shrugged and tucked some of her purple hair behind her ear. She 'forgot' to tell him about the fact she trespassed in the building and was actually hiding from the man from earlier. And she really didn't want him to know about the fact she was stranded here just as much as he was at the moment. They didn't really talk much after that, both lost in their own little world.

Nikki stretched and heard a loud growling sound in the room. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. He gave her a sheepish grin as he sputtered out, "I haven't been able to eat anyfing because of the whale-fing." Nicole almost laughed but held it in so that he wouldn't feel anymore embarrassed. She hoped off the bed and turned towards him. "Is there a kitchen around here?" she asked as she examined the room.

2D pondered for a moment and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I fink there's one upstairs," he said slowly. Getting up himself, Nicole looked at him in awe. He really was tall, standing at a good 6, 2. Never did the woman admit to anyone, but she actually had a fondness for tall men. But this wasn't the time to admire the elder. Letting him lead the way, they walked down the hall and back into the elevator. He pushed the button for 'kitchen' (how could she have missed that?), and upon the chime entered the room.

The kitchen had plenty of space, a large stove and oven, a big refrigerator filled with groceries, and dishes that needed to be washed (why did it seem the whole place needed a good scrubbing?). Nicole took off her jacket, sporting her form fitting magenta shirt and walked over to the sink to get started. "What would you like to eat?" she asked the man. The other was just glad to be away from the sea-leveled room to really care. "Anyfing is fine wif me," he said taking a seat at the table.

Nicole nodded as she washed out a pan, a bowl, a whisk, a spatula, and two plates. Looking through the refrigerator, she found all the ingredients to make a good omelet. She grabbed eggs, peppers, sausage, tomatoes, and asparagus. Grabbing a knife from the rack, she rinsed it off before finding a cutting board and getting to work.

One thing that Nicole didn't really mind doing at all was cooking. Oddly enough, she found it soothing and always relieved the stress. Dicing up the tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, and sausage, she thought about what could help keep the eggs from sticking. She turned on the fire to a dim heat and looked in the fridge for some butter. Locating it, she cut a small square and put it on the pan, listening to it sizzle at melt. This was nothing new to her; in fact she had to cook for herself a lot when she was coming up. Her parents was always busy trying to make sure that she didn't really want for anything as a little girl, but as a result had left her to learn how to grow up and be independent quicker than the normal child.

Again, it wasn't a bother, if anything she was grateful. It meant that by the time she was fifteen, she could already do all the things normal teens couldn't, and therefore was treated with more respect and responsibility. Cracking the eggs in a bowl, she whisked them together, an arithmetic pattern starting to develop as she began to cook. Grabbing some spices, she added some salt, pepper, and herbs to the concoction, mixing it all up until it was blended well enough. Since she heated the pan first, it was good and hot by the time she poured the mixture in it.

While that cooked, she washed out the bowl again and put the other ingredients in, mixing them up as well. She didn't consider herself an expert chef, but she wasn't a one of those 'I cook them good enough just to get by' people either. She had learned from her grandmother that when learning or doing anything, you should put one hundred and ten percent in it at all times, and she took that to heart after all these years. She put a tablespoon of butter onto the eggs to make them fluffy and turned the fire to a low, simmering heat once more.

She went back into the refrigerator to see if there was anything to drink. All she found was beer though and other alcoholic beverages. Something caught her attention as she looked in the contents; lemons. _I could make some nice ice-cold lemonade,_ she thought to herself. Agreeing that it was the best thing to do, she grabbed two lemons from out the fridge and placed them on the counter. She looked through all the cupboards until she found a bag of sugar and a large pitcher. Washing that out, she put a good third of water in the container and cut the lemons in half; beginning to make the drink.

2D looked on in amazement at how orderly and swiftly the young woman was moving in the kitchen. She looked so natural, as if she was used to this sort of thing. The smell coming from the eggs made him drool a bit, he couldn't wait until they were finished cooking. He really hadn't had a decent meal since he was put on the beach. Murdoc fed him rubbish (according to D's standards), and to now see a woman making him something _good and edible_ made him feel a lot better.

He didn't know much about her, but she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. And she was so young too. Of course, being a man as well, he couldn't help but to appreciate her 'femininity'. She was voluptuous; with a petite (but not _too _thin) frame, nice hips, wide hazel eyes that shined when she spoke, full lips. She was also a deep tan, not that he was complaining. It reminded him of a dark caramel color. And her hair was short, reaching just to her ears in the front and draped down to the nape of her slender neck.

It was nice to see someone that was easy on the eyes around. In fact, he was so caught up in admiring her body that he didn't notice that she was talking to him. "2D sir, are you listening to me?" she said a bit annoyed. He blinked and said the only thing he could at a moment like this. "Huh?" was the reply.

Nicole shook her head. "I said would you like a slice of lemon in your drink?" she asked, smiling. The blue-haired man laughed nervously. "Oh, no fanks," he said fumbling again. Nikki nodded and turned back to the skillet with the now finished omelets (when that happened 2D would never know). Setting on plate in front of him and a cup of lemonade, she went to a drawer and looked for a fork and knife for each of them.

When all utensils were there and both were situated, they began to eat. It was silent, but had a nice atmosphere. Nicole took her time in eating, barely getting her first bite as she watched him closely. 2D took a bite and froze. For a moment, she thought that maybe he didn't like her cooking when her beamed out, "This is delicious Nicole!"

The violet-haired woman blushed (though it was hardly seen considering her skin tone). "Is it really? I kind of rushed it so…" she began. He nodded quickly. "Positive! I never had an omelet this good before," he said as he stuffed his face with another bite. Satisfied and relieved, Nicole ate hers with more confidence. It wasn't the first time she had to cook for a stranger, but still this was different somehow. They continued to eat in silence, with the occasional compliment or question coming from one or the other. Half-way through them eating though, the moment was ruined

Footsteps were heard coming rather hurriedly and before either could react, they jumped when a man yelled, "What the hell is going on in here?"

2D yelped and Nicole flinched at the booming voice, both looking up simultaneously to the owner of the outburst. A green dark-skinned man in a grey long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and an upside cross was glaring at the scene before him with his black and red eyes. Nicole was speechless as she meekly cowered at him, not liking how the situation went from good to 'on my gosh we're going to die' so fast.

The man growled and gave the other one sitting a fixed look. "How'd you get out of your room, Face ache?" he said dangerously low. The one he referred to gulped audibly and stuttered for an explanation. Nicole gave him a disheartened look. She didn't want him to get in trouble because of her doing.

"I let him out," she said quickly. 2D stared at her in what she could imagine to be wide-eyed and the other snapped his head in her direction make her flinch again. He looked at her, somewhat confused before barking out, "And just who the bloody hell are you?" Nicole felt her mouth go dry as she opened and closed it, inaudibly sounds the only things that escaped her quivering lips.

It was 2D's turn to stand up for her defense. "That's Nicole Swanson. She got her just today," he said timidly. The pale skinned elder glanced at the younger man and turned his attention back to the woman in question. Just then his eyes widened and narrowed more than before. "Were you the one that made all that screeching earlier?" he said growling. Nicole gulped. She had been found and what's worse, she now knew who the owner of the footsteps was.

Nodding slowly, she grabbed the letter (yet again) and showed it to him. "I-I got this i-in my mail yesterday," she stammered. She hated it when she began to stutter, it meant that she was afraid (something she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of). He snatched letter and read it, grumbling as he said it aloud. Nicole and 2D exchanged worried looks as she took a sip of lemonade. Even if she was frightened, she wasn't going to show it too much.

After he read it there was even more of a frown on his face. "Who gave you this?" he said surprisingly calmer this time. Nicole folded her arms across her chest. Tilting her head to the side she gave him an even look. "That is exactly what I would like to know. There was no return address and there was a bunch of stamps from different countries so I couldn't tell where the envelope had originally come from." 2D lifted a feeble hand to interject.

"Murdoc, are you going to kick her off the island?" he asked sadly. Nicole's eyes widened. This guy was the Murdoc 2D was talking about? Her eyes lowered slightly at the new bit of information. The one known as Murdoc looked between the two and snarled. "Why shouldn't I? Did you know I was working on a song downstairs and here comes this… Banshee-like scream piercing in the air! I have to do the bloody thing all over again!" he said waving his arms around to emphasis his point.

That made Nikki cover her mouth politely. "Sorry about that. But did you know you have an octopus in your study?" she said, shuddering at the remembrance. Murdoc rolled his eyes. "'Did you know you have an octopus in your study?'" he mimicked in a rather bad impersonation of the young woman.

Nicole glared up at the older man, hating to feel belittled and not taken seriously. He placed his hands on his waist and leaned forward, grinning. "Course I know there's a fucking bloody octopus in the study! I hired'em to be there!" he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

She didn't retort as the man seemed to be sizing her up. Would he really try to get rid of her? Nicole didn't want to be there, but still. To kick a woman out, in the middle of nowhere with no land for miles… The thought inwardly made her want to cry and plead to be kept on the island. However, outwardly she just looked at him, her face unreadable and her eyes emotionless (a trick she learned from her friend Marcy years ago).

2D looked at the two have a staring contest from his view. Honestly he didn't want anything to happen to her, but he also knew that Murdoc wasn't all _that_ nice. Silently, he hoped that the two could come to a mutual agreement. He really wanted to know more about the woman that was so kind and caring.

Murdoc sneered at her and stood up. She had an unreadable face so he couldn't tell what she was thinking. But looking at her, he did notice that she had quite the body. Perhaps she could be of some use after all to the Satanist. He gave her a toothy grin. "Well luv, today's you lucky day cuz I'm feeling a little generous." Nicole snapped out of her concealed mask and looked up at him with wide, glistening eyes.

He reached out and lightly touched her face, causing her to jerk away abruptly. The Satanist's grin grew wider. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her last $200. Handing it to him, she mumbled, "This is all I have to my name. I can give this to you and pay the rest of my stay by doing manual labor." The last of her statement made him chuckle.

Nicole mentally rolled her eyes. "By cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, house work," she clarified. 2D tapped his chin in thought. "That sounds fair. The place could be tended to better…"

"Shut it dullard!" retorted Murdoc, smacking the other on the back of his head. Nikki sighed. She was supposed to be on vacation last she checked, yet here she was trying to strike a fair trade on room and board while she resided here (however long that is). Wasn't they supposed to have a room ready for her or something? But then again, they seemed surprised themselves to find her there in the first place.

But that was neither there nor here. She held out the money and looked up him expectantly. "Is it a deal? I give you this and then pay my expenses in maid work," she said calmly. He gave it a moment of thought before grabbing her hand in a firm grip. It took everything in her not to cry out in pain from the way he had a hold on her. "You have a deal there luv. You start first thing in the morning," he said coyly.

She couldn't help but feel a deep sensation of dread wash over her. Did she just make a deal with the Devil himself or something? And what's worse, with no way home she had no choice **but** to work for him. It was either that or be fish food. Nicole sighed and gave 2D an awkward smile. He shrugged dejectedly and picked up their plates. Looking back at Murdoc, Nikki saw that his eyes were glimmering with something… foreign to her. Either way, she could look on the bright side: at least she finally got herself a job and a place to stay.

**A/N: Another chappie down! I hope the people stayed in character. Whelp, now we have 2D and Murdoc in the mix and Nicole as their maid! … Strange, I didn't think this is how it was supposed to happen. Oh well. Advice and Reviews are much obliged! Till I post again.**

**Gale signing off!**


End file.
